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Petition to Change University of Utah 'Ute' Nickname on Change.org

ICTMN Staff

12/6/13

“It is time the University of Utah end the misappropriation of Native American traditions, customs and symbols and retire the ‘Drum and Feather’ logo and ‘Ute’ nickname,” reads a petition on Change.org filed by Samantha Eldridge from Salt Lake City, Utah and Indigenous Students and Allies for Change.

The petition has garnered just over 300 signatures so far and they are looking to get about 200 more.

“For decades, Native Americans and non-Native Americans from across the nation have protested the use of Native American mascots, nicknames and logos citing the discriminatory and harmful nature of such images,” the petition states. “By allowing University of Utah students and fans to wear Native American headdresses, paint their faces red and ‘play Indian’ throughout campus, at tailgating events and in the football stadium, the University of Utah is unilaterally allowing the denigration and mockery of Native American traditions, customs and religious symbols.”

The petition sites research that states how harmful the use of Native mascots can be to the self-esteem of Native students and sites graduation rates of Native students.

It's always the non-Indians that think it's okay to Dishonor an entire culture and indigenous people. They will never understand how we feel about it. That's why they will resist discontinuing their shameful ways!!!

I think this petition would have more support if it came from a Ute student.
I attended the UofU under the pretense that I would feel "honored" as a Ute tribal member.
I grew up wearing the sweat shirts, pants, and beaded jewelry featuring the drum and feather and the Utes name. I never attended a football game or a basketball game. However, I attended many of the science outreach programs and other camps they had on campus. So, I felt it was only appropriate that I would attend the U.
My first month there I attended a basketball game. I left during the second quarter because I couldn't take it anymore. The combination of seeing the "tomahawk chop", and non-native people screaming out "go Utes!" was overwhelming to me.
No, they aren't Utes. I am.
The turning point for me was when I witnessed a game shirt between the U and TCU. A vendor had set up on campus featuring shirts that had a supposed "ute" roasting a horned toad over a fire. Ute people would never do that to a horned toad given that we think of them as a grandfathers. As I stood looking at this caricature of a ute person, I thought "my uncles don't look like, my brother doesn't either. My dad doesn't look like that."
The caricature featured a small creature with a huge nose with a war bonnet covering his face.
I decided to leave that school after administration refused to notice or site the vendor for selling the shirts. I must point out that the vendors had set up in the main quad of the school.
Tisk tisk .